How to Make Nonaerosol Spray Starch

The heat from an iron pushes spray starch into fabric fibers to stiffen them.

Spray starch adds stiffness to the fabric of your clothes and helps a hot iron create crisp lines and pleats. Starching your clothes when you iron them retains the shape much better than ironing alone. You can make your own nonaerosol spray starch at home with common ingredients.

Things You'll Need

• Large pot
• Water
• Measuring cup
• Corn starch
• Spoon
• Funnel
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Place a large pot on the stove. Measure 2 quarts of water for a heavy starch, 4 quarts of water for a medium starch or 6 quarts of water for a light starch. There are 4 cups of water to a quart.

2. Turn the stove burner on high and let the water come to a hard boil.

3. Pour 1 cup cold water into a measuring bowl. Measure and add 1/2 cup of corn starch to the cold water. Stir the contents thoroughly to mix it.

4. Turn the stove off and remove the pot from the burner. Pour the contents from the bowl into the boiling water and stir it rapidly until the mixture is consistent in color and texture. Let the starch cool completely.

5. Open a spray bottle lid and place a funnel in the bottle's opening. Pour the starch from the pot into the funnel and fill the bottle. Remove the funnel and twist the lid on tightly clockwise.

6. Spray your laundry with the starch and then iron it with a hot iron.

Tips & Warnings

• Make smaller batches of starch by dividing the ingredients by the same number. For example, divide all of the ingredients by 2 to make a half batch.

References

• Argo Starch: Frequently Asked Questions